once we met | derek morgan. ✓

7 : the cemetery

j u l e s .

I wake up from a small nap and look down at my phone - 6:35am is plastered on the top half of the screen.

I turn to face Derek, a small, cocky grin plastered on his face.

My brow furrows, "Derek, where the hell are we going?" I ask curiously.

"It's a surprise.." He says, reaching across the center console, his hand landing on my face as he gently squeezes my cheek.

"You're insane-" I giggle, shaking my head as he cuts me off.

"Insanely handsome." He chuckles, filling in the rest of my sentence.

I glance outside the passenger window as we ride down the freeway.

A huge sign comes across our path.

Welcome to Chicago - it reads.

My jaw drops, "Chicago!? How the hell did we end up in Chicago!? Derek, my dad is going to murder me!" I exclaim, punching Derek's arm lightly.

He grasps a hold of my hand, "Will you calm down you feisty animal? I already texted Hotch, calling in sick for you, saying it was very contagious so no one could visit you." He explains.

I scoff, "You really think that's gonna work? My parents are vicious people who never give me a break, especially my dad."

Derek chuckles, "You need to calm down. We're only going to be here for less than a day, and we'll be back in Quantico before you know it."

I giggle, "We better. If I call in, saying I need another sick day, Hotch will come to my apartment and see why the hell I'm not working." I say, glancing over at Derek.

He smiles, "Why do you act like he never gives you a break?" He asks.

I scoff, turning in my seat, "Because he doesn't! Ever since I was little, he has always had high standards for me! I was the gifted, honors kid who tried to make him proud. When I told him I wanted to join the FBI, he sent me off to college and made me move out so I wouldn't have to deal with any distractions if the team or family came to visit. For Christmas, he gave me a textbook on Victimology!" I exclaim, a slight giggle emitting from my tone.

"A textbook on Victimology?" He asks, chuckling and shaking his head in disbelief.

I nod, giggling as I look down at my lap.

I look up at him, a slight smile coming dancing onto his lips as he glances over at me.

"What happened to your dad?" I ask.

His cheeks flush as he hears the question, making him clear his throat.

"W-What do you mean?" He asks, fumbling as he searches for words.

I reach over, my hand resting on his thigh.

I turn to face him, "Earlier when I asked you about your dad, you shot me down. Just now, when I asked again, you completely stumbled over all of your words and your cheeks flushed. You cleared your throat and shifted uncomfortably as well, meaning you don't really talk about the subject with anyone." I state matter-of-factly, a bit of pride filling my tone as I become proud of myself for being able to profile him so well.

He chuckles, shaking his head, "Okay Ms. Profiler, calm down, I'll explain."

I nod, turning towards him as he pulls over next to a cemetery.

"Uhh, what are we doing here?" I ask, fear and worry flashing through my body immediately, sending a chill down my spine.

He chuckles again, "Calm down, I'm not going to kill you. Just get out of the car and follow me." He says as he climbs out of the car and runs over to my side, opening my door quickly.

He grabs my hand, lacing his fingers with mine as I blush.

Derek Morgan...holding my hand? What the hell?

He looks down at me, "So, when I was nine, I wasn't feeling well so I called home from school, telling my mom I wasn't feeling well. My mom of course, didn't believe me - I was the type of kid who always called home, complaining I was sick so I didn't have to stay in school all day." He chuckles.

I nod in understanding, a small giggle emitting from my tone.

A small smile comes across his face as he continues, "Anyways, my mom didn't believe me so I called my dad while he was at work. My dad was an amazing man, he constantly knew how to put a smile on my face, and he was a police officer, so I thought he was super cool y'know." He explains as I giggle a bit, kicking the woodchips as we walk.

His chuckle gets cut short as he continues, "He was my role model." He says with a smile.

"That's adorable." I say with a blushed smile as he jokingly bumps into me with his hip.

"Anyways, when he picked me up, I was in such a pissed off mood because of my mom refusing to come get me. My dad thought it was funny, so he tried every way to cheer me up. He decided that he would stop at the gas station and get me some Gatorade-" He pauses, choking a bit on his words, "But, when we started pulling up to the gas station, he got called into a crime that was being committed. He told me I could come along, as long as I stayed in the vehicle..." He explains, his tone becoming very shaky.

I squeeze his hand lightly, "What happened Derek?" I ask, sympathetically.

He nods before continuing, "We got there and my dad tried to stop the crime...but he got shot three times, in front of my eyes." He explains, blinking rapidly as tears roll down his cheeks.

"Derek..." I begin, my tone lowering as I come at a loss for words.

He shakes his head, "I'm okay. He died a little over 23 years ago, so I've learned to cope with all the anger, all the sadness, and all the other shitty emotions that went along with his death." He explains, wiping away his tears.

A rush of emotion flows through my body as I pull Derek into a tight hug with no hesitation. He tightly wraps his hands around me as my head leans into his chest.

He breaks the hug, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we continue walking downhill.

We make it halfway through the cemetery when we step in front of a memorial statue, surrounded by a bunch of tombstones with American flags and flowers.

"Meet my dad and a bunch of other fallen officers." He chuckles, a small but bright smile coming onto his face.

I giggle softly before immediately clasping my hand over my mouth in regret, "Stop! That is so disrespectful!" I exclaim, pushing Derek over.

"Don't worry! They won't mind." He chuckles.

"Derek! Oh my God!" I exclaim, covering my face with my hands as I hold back my giggle.

"Calm down! They know I'm kidding." He says, kneeling down to brush away a bunch of old grass, woodchips, and debris.

He slips out of his jacket, placing it on the ground, before standing up again.

"Here, take a seat." He says, a small smirk creeping onto his face.

"Thanks." I say, a blushed smile dancing onto my lips as he sits down beside me.

He smiles before turning towards his dad's tombstone, "Dad, meet Julianna. Everyone calls her Annie, but I call her Jules. It's just a special nickname for her." He smiles, lightly placing his hand on my shoulder and playfully shaking me.

"You really know how to charm your way into a girl's heart, huh?" I giggle, blushing lightly as he admires my gel nails.

"Always." He says with a bright smile before bringing my hand up to his lips, kissing it softly.